Second Chances
by TheSpaceLava
Summary: It's been two years since the Joker crippled Barbara. Now at the age of 21, Barbara has finally accepted her situation, until Jason comes back to her life. But he's not the hyperactive teenager she use to know. He's older, taller and more experienced... in every level. And that's not all, he knows how to make her walk again. (might change into M for later chapters).
1. Chapter 1

"Fuck."

I rarely curse. And when I usually do, it's because I'm really irritated.

I use to be able to do everything by myself. _Everything._ And now I can't get one fucking cup! I shift my body to the side and make another effort to catch the cup from the cupboard. My fingers are slightly brushing the porcelain and I tug my lips into a slight smile, knowing that I made it. Except my fingers slip and I push the cup further from my reach.

"Fuck!"

"I didn't know you had such a mouth on you Barbie.." I _way_ to familiar voice reaches my ears. I scoff at the sound of that deep, cocky voice.

"What do you want Jason?" I ask him a little bit bluntly, my entire attention focused on the fucking cup!

"Just thought I could stop by and see what you've been up to.."

"Nothing in particular…" I shook my head, my teeth gritting.

"You need help with that?" I hear a loud thud and his footsteps coming closer.

"No thank you. If I'm in a chair doesn't mean I can get a fucking cup!" I snap a little.

"What ever. I'll be on the couch if you need me.."

"Since when do you live here?" I shift a little bit more on my chair, my right hand gripping the kitchen counter tightly. Just a little.

"Since you start leaving the window open." he smirked.

Note to self: start closing the living room window.

Don't get me wrong, I _love_ Jason. Sure he's a cocky, self-centred ass hole, but so is every single man in my life. But ever since he.. well died, he's been cockier and blunter than ever.

_Just like you after the Joker incident._

I mentally shake the thought of my head, and balance myself on the chair. Just a little bit… and I feel a pain in my head. Before I am aware of my surroundings I realize that my lips are kissing my kitchen floor. I feel sour pain in my upper body and face. I fell. I fell on the ground.

"Hey… you okay?" Jason's hands are cupping my face, his eyes filled with sincere worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I nod, trying to let a small smile escape my lips.

"Babs.. you're crying.." he whispers. I am? That figures why my face felt wet. His thumbs are gently caressing my face, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "You sure you okay?"

"Yeah.. I'm sure…" I nod, my eyes fixed on the ground I just fell on, "Can you please help me, back on my chair?" I say to him, a lump stuck in my throat that prevents me from speaking like a normal person. My voice is shaking and so is my entire body.

Jason gently picks me up and places me back on my chair. I slowly look up and meet his eyes. They are still that familiar shade of blue I'm used of. But his face… it's completely different from the one I remember. His jaw line is stronger, his hair is longer and darker. The white streak in it is also new. The smug smile that was always present on his lips is replaced with a thin line. Scattered across his face are various battle scars and cuts. Dried blood is visible on his upper lip and there's a bruise under his right eye.

He soon becomes aware of my long stare. My gaze seems to worry him. "What?" is all he manages to say, while a small smile appears on his bloodied lip.

"You use to be such a beautiful boy.." I say, a small smile appearing on my lips as well.

"I'm a big boy now. Grew taller." He laughs.

"Yeah…" I whisper, while my hand reaches for that loose strand of white hair and tuck it away from his eyes. "I miss you.."

"Do you?" his impression becomes serious and fairly suspicious. "Did you missed me, like I missed you..?" he moves his face closer to mine, so he can whisper in my ear. For an unknown reason, the sound of his voice sends shivers across my shattered spine. My hands grip the ends of my wheelchair, as I become anxious. "You didn't.." he sighed in my ear, once again sending shivers. "You had _him_. You didn't need me.. and now that he's miles away…"

I snap. His face is now away from mine. A red mark is visible on his cheek as his teeth clench. Jason's eyes flutter open, as he sends an angry glare at my direction.

"You have no _fucking _idea what I went through!" I snap once again. Tears gather around my eyes, but I swallow them bitterly. "I was left for dead! Broken.. literally! And… and… he didn't even care! The man I thought that loved me, didn't give a single crap about me!" I sob. Jason's glare softened as he stare at me. He can pretend all he wants, but I know how he feels. He is just like me. Not in an exact same way, but close. "He left me… he just left…"

"Son of a bitch." I hear Jason mutter. He looks down for a moment and then looks up at me again. "I can help you…"

"No." I shake my head, already aware of his proposal.

"Let me help you!" he suddenly cups my face with his hands. "You could walk again!" a smile escapes his lips.

I snap my eyes open. _I could walk again._ "What are you saying?"


	2. Chapter 2

I slowly open my eyes and take a good look at my surroundings. There is still that awful pounding in my head, but I will survive. I raise my body slowly and carefully and lean on my elbows.

The sound of steady breathing reaches my ears as I notice Jason sleeping on the edge of the bed. A small smile starts to tug on the corners of my lips as I watch him. He looks so peaceful, sleeping like that. Like he doesn't have a single care in the world. Nothing to worry about.

A heavy and unexpected sigh escapes my lips. I shift my body to the edge of the bed and in a swift moment I transport myself into the chair. _Hello, old friend. _I think to myself, as I roll my way towards the kitchen.

I don't forget to smack Jason on the back of his head as I'm on my way to exit the bedroom.

"Ha? What?" I hear him grunt. "What time is it? Did I spend the night here? Did anything happen?"

Jason's random questions are piling just like the dirty dishes in my sink. "It's almost ten." I say to him, my voice loud so he can hear me. "Yes and no."

"And what's the _no_ for?" I throw a glance over my shoulder and notice Jason leaning against the door aisle, lazily brushing the back of his neck.

"Nothing happened, Jay.." I reply softly, followed with a small smile.

"Do finally have an answer for my proposal?" he chirps, a smile spreading all over his bruised face.

I sigh for the second time this morning. I lower my head, completely avoiding Jason's stare. Have I really? I told him I'll sleep on it. It was risky and honestly, I did not believe in anything supernatural. I was a science person. But spiritual? I'd be lying if I said that I was.

The only time I've been praying was when dad was in the hospital. And even then, I didn't exactly believe in the words I was saying. Or to who I was talking to. God...

Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair, gripping a handful of it. Revival. If someone asks me if I believe in it, I would say _no_ right away. But then again, the sole proof that revival existed was standing right there, in front of me.

Staring intensely at me, with those blue...-no, aquamarine eyes of his. The Jason Todd that I once knew was alive and breathing in front of me. Maybe... just maybe. I shifted my stare to the ceiling. I would be able to walk again. I could be Batgirl again. I could walk, run, kick ass again.

I slightly part my lips in order to say something, but nothing comes out of them. "I accept." I say after a year long pause. "Let's go for a dip."

"You okay back there?" Jason's voice reaches my ears, as I have my head leaned against his shoulder.

"Yup.." I say, with a groggily voice.

"We're almost there, Red. Hold on." he breathes out, as I once again put my arms around his torso. Only this time, my grip is tighter. I can barely feel his hands around my legs. I can barely feel anything when it comes to my legs. You can stab me and yet again I won't feel anything. Yup, it's that bad. He got me _that_ bad.

The hot desert air was starting to get to me. Beads of sweat start to slowly appear on my forehead and I my shirt starts to stick to skin of my back. "Almost there.." Jason repeats, as a tired sigh escapes his lips.

"Am I burdening you?" I ask him absent mindedly as my eyes drift in the distance in front.

"Never." He answers, with a small chuckle. "You could weight a ton and you still wouldn't burden me.."

A small smile appears on my face. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" he asks innocently, as he struggles to glance at me over his shoulder.

"Being so damn nice." I reply with a soft chuckle. I shift my hands on his shoulder and gently put my hands around his neck and pull myself closer to him.

"I can't." Jason suddenly stops and turns me around. He gently places me on the warm sand and kneels in front of me. His hand reaches a loose strand of my hair and puts it behind my ear. "You make me that way.."

I raise my eyebrows at his answer and pull my lips into a small smile, that looked more like a smirk. Without any realization I find myself staring deeply into his eyes and start biting my lip. _What are you doing Barbara? _

"Come on." Once again he picks me up, piggy-back style, and I am now staring at the back of his head, instead of his beautiful blue eyes.

Dick also has blue eyes. But they are nothing like Jason's. They are duller. Not as bright as Jason's. Sure, they are livelier and seem happier, but compared to Jason's they ought to lose. There is something behind Jason's aquamarine eyes that makes me want to stare for a little bit longer. Was the apparent sadness? What was it?

Before... - before he died, there was this mischief in them. Like he was always up to no good, in which case, _he always was_, but still. I used to love making him think that I was annoyed by him, because he was a brat. Back there, two years seemed like ages in my eyes. But now, he looks like he is even older than me.

He grew up. He grew up into a beautiful young man.

"Babs? You with me?.."

"Ha?" I sheepishly get out of my trance and remove my head from Jason's shoulder. "You said something?"

"Did you just take a nap back there?" Jason asks with a jokingly voice.

"I might've. Your shoulder is quite comfy.." stop doing that! Stop flirting with him!

The inside of the cave was dark. The only light that I was able to see came from the pool of water that was a couple of feet away from the place Jason put me down. He was circling around the Pit like an animal hunting for it's prey.

"You sure know what are you doing?" I finally ask him, my voice echoing around the cave.

"Yeah. I've seen Ra's taking a dip a couple times." Jason replies, whilst quickly shrugging off his leather jacket and carelessly throws it on the ground beside the Pit. "Ready?" with slow steps he walks closer to me and offers me his hand.

I stare at him for a brief moment, mentally preparing myself for what comes next. Taking a deep breath in, I slowly take Jason's hand. With one hand inside my own he places his other arm around my legs and picks me up. "It's gonna be okay." He whispers in my hair as he carries me closer and closer to the Pit.

Slowly, I swallow the lump inside my throat and once again take a deep long breath in. "I'm ready." I exclaim, my eyes practically glued on the pool of water in front of me. "Drop me."

"Take a deep breath. On three, I'm letting you go. You still know how to swim, right?" was that supposed to be a joke?

"Drop me! Now!" I exclaim bluntly.

" ." I feel Jason's hand nervously shift under my body as he makes the countdown, "Take a deep breath, Red. THREE!"

He lets go of me. I feel my body coming in contact with the water. Still holding my breath, I find myself under the water. Panicking, I start waving my hands around. My eyes grow wider as I stare above me. I can see a glimpse of Jason's silhouette standing over the Pit, watching over me. I am not able to see the look of his face, but I can bet that it's worried.

And then something happens. I am able to move. I catch a glimpse of my legs slowly making movements. I can feel the water slowly wrapping around them. I can feel! Once again, I repeat the same movements. Again. And again. And again.

I reach the surface. I inhale a big amount of air as I check my surroundings. Panting, I come in contact with Jason. His jaw that was clenches, suddenly relaxes. A relieved smile spreads across his lips, as his entire body relaxes. All of a sudden he's on his knees, offering me his hand.

Carefully, I swim my way towards him. "Thank God." He says through a big smile. His hands cup my face as he pulls me closer to him. Without thinking he places a soft kiss on my forehead. "For a moment there, I thought you drowned."

I glance down, and a small smile tugs on the corners of my lips as I spot my legs slowly row under the water. "How long was I under?" I shift my gaze on his face.

"I dunno." Jason shakes his head, sighing. "An hour, maybe? Jesus, Barbie, you scared the shit outta me. I thought I lost you."

"Nope." I shake my head, smiling. "Still here. Alive and breathing."

"Ready to step into the surface, Ariel?" Jason asks with a small chuckle.

"Lead the way.." I reply, smiling.

Jason's hand easily find his way to my torso and with an ease he picks me up from the water. I wrap my hands around his neck, clinging myself to him, like my life depends on it. I feel like my entire outfit has been glued to my body.

"Careful now." Jason says quietly, almost as a whisper. "I'm going to put you down. You ready?"

"You've asked me that, like a hundred times already.." I reply with a small chuckle. "I'm ready, Jay. I've always been."

Jason slowly puts me down, as my feet touch the ground. My legs feel like jello, but hey, at least they feel like something! My hand slowly travel from Jason's neck towards his shoulders, as I now shift my gaze straight into his eyes. And just like many times before, I find myself being hypnotized.

"Thank you." I say barely. "For everything."

"We're not done yet. You still need to take a deep a few more times..." he replies with a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah.. I know that, but still, thanks." I have no idea what I am doing. Why I am like this.. "Jason, I..-"

"You look tired. Better catch some sleep." He shrugs me off and just like before picks me up and carries me towards a part of the cave where he had placed the sleeping bags and the other things he carried on our little trip.

Carefully, he places me on one of the sleeping bags. "Jason.." I call after him. He turns around almost immediately. "I.. need to ask you something.."

"Anything." He kneels next to me, and tugs a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. He just loves doing that, doesn't he?

"Can you please, hand me over my backpack, please? I'm kind soaking wet over here.." I say sheepishly.

"Oh, right.." Jason looks as sheepishly as I do. His cheeks slowly turn light pink and with a swift move he hands me over my backpack. "I'll turn around now."

"Oh please. Don't act like you haven't seen me changing before."

Jason's cheek turn from a light pink to a bright red as he shifts his gaze towards the cave's ceiling. Nervously he scratches the nape of his neck. "What? You think I never noticed?" I laugh at his sudden reaction. "I am trained by the Batman after all, silly. Plus, your stealth moves, weren't as perfected as they are now."

"I was a teenage boy! I had needs!" Jason protests, still refusing to look at me.

"And you don't have needs now?" I quickly pull my wet shirt over my head and unclip my bra while Jason is still in his denial faze and refuses to even glance at me.

"I DO! I'm a nineteen year old boy Babs! Of course I have needs, dammit!" Jason decides to turn around and look at me just in time. I have already disposed of all my wet clothing and am comfortably sitting on my sleeping bag. "Oh, you've changed already?" his voice slightly high-pitched.

"You sound disappointed." A slight smirk spreads across my lips. I love moments like this. You know, when Jason's the one that's getting all flustered and not me. I love it when I'm control. "After all," I slowly shift my body closer to Jason. "you said it yourself, you _are_ a nineteen year old boy with needs."

Jason nervously swallowed the lump inside his throat as he kept staring at me. His cheeks turning into a deeper shade of red by every passing second. "You know.." my hand slowly travels to his face, and my hand is slowly caressing his crimson red cheek. "I am really thankful for what you did for me back there..." I slowly move my hand towards his neck and push his head closer to me. "... and I know just the way to thank you..."

"Really?" I feel Jason's lips slowly tugging into a smirk. "What's on your mind?"

"I will tell you, but first you gotta become a man, I don't do boys." I pushed him back playfully, my smirk still visible, unlike Jason's who was now traded with a quizzical look. "What? You said it yourself. You're a _boy. _With needs." I covered myself with the blanket and turned my back on him.

"A nineteen year old! A nineteen year old!" Jason shouted, protesting.

"Don't try to fight it Jay. You said it yourself. No take backs."


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on. One more step, come on.."

"Will you shut up!? I feel like a baby that learns how to walk.." I roll my eyes at Jason as I carefully take each step towards him. He has one of those overly-exited smiles plastered all over his face and his eyes are sparkling. Like really sparkling.

"One more step, _baby_, come on. You can do it.." Jason ignores my comment and keeps talking to me like a fucking one-year old. Wait, what did he just call me?

I finally come near him and place my hands on his shoulders. I feel tired. Like I've walked a mile. My legs ache too. "Is it supposed to hurt this much?" I look down at my feet.

"Not really a doctor here." Jason tries to sound funny, but the worry in his voice is bigger and kind of overshadows the whole _I'm being funny to make you feel better_-thing.

"Never mind." I sigh, slightly frustrated.

Jason helps me sit down on the ground. Once again, just like many times before he manages to find a loose strand of hair and tugs it away, behind my ear. He lingers for a couple of seconds, as if he wants to do something, but something doesn't let him do it. In the end, he doesn't do anything and quickly lifts himself from the ground.

With slow steps he walks to the very edge of the Pit and stares at the water inside. He glides his hand through his thick black hair before pulling out a cigarette out of his jeans' back pocket. He hasn't worn his leather jacket since yesterday, but I don't mind. As a matter of fact, it's quite.. nice.

God, Barbara! Pull yourself together! This is your ex's baby brother you're talking about. The annoying, repulsive, always-horny brat you use to train. The one that drooled over you when you walked around the cave in your training bra. And that got hard that one time while sparring. Jesus..

"What's so funny?" Jason suddenly asks, and just now I notice that I've been laughing out loud.

"Nothing." I wave my hand at him, trying to shrug it away. But Jason is persistent. He slides down next to me and takes one long breath from his cigarette. "Hey Jay.." I say softly, changing the subject.

"Yeah.." Jason glances at me for a moment, before shifting his gaze back at the cigarette that he is know twirling around his long and thin fingers.

"When did you start smoking?" I place my hands on my legs and slowly pull then closer to my body. I lean my head on my knees, my entire attention devoted to him.

"Before I died.." he swiftly places the cigarette between his lips and I watch him breath in and breath out the think smoke. I've never been this close to him. This close to observe him. Now that I think about it, he never let me observe him in the first place. He was always fidgeting around like hyperactive teenager he was. He could never sit in one place, and yet there he was, sitting still next to me. Five years later. The boy I use to know was no longer a boy. He was a man. "... I use to hide in the basement of the Wayne Manor and smoke. No one ever went there, so I figured.. y'know, why not?"

"I'm sorry." I suddenly hear myself say.

"For what?" Jason shift his head, so now he is facing me. He flicks the cigarette from his hand and gently stomps it with his foot.

"For being a bitch to you over the years.." I bury my face between my knees, ignoring his quizzical gaze. "You have to understand, I was sixteen. I had a life, or, at least tried to have one, but still, you know what I mean." I catch Jason slightly nodding his head, from the corner of my eye. After a brief pause, I continue, "My first boyfriend had just cheated on me, I was balancing a double life, I was battling my feelings for Dick... and then you... you... _died_ and my entire world crushed." I hid my face behind my hands.

Jason stayed quiet for a while. Suddenly I felt a pair of hands pull me towards something.. or someone. I placed my head over Jason's chest and heard it. The only proof that he was still alive. His heartbeat. His heart was pumping blood and it let him live. I buried my head into his chest, my hands gripping his T-shirt and pulling him closer to me. "Don't ever, leave. Don't you ever leave _me_." I sob into his chest, my tears leaving puddles on his black T-shirt. Jason stood there like a statue. After a couple of minutes he finally gathered enough courage to place his hand over my hair and slowly run his fingers through it, soothing me.

Finally I remove my head from his chest and come face to face with him. My eyes meet his aquamarine ones. His lips are slightly parted as he stares back at me. Slowly, his hand travels to my cheek and gently cups it, as his thumb gently caresses the skin on my face. "Promise me.." I say with a shaky voice.

"I will never leave you. Never. Not in a million years." Jason quickly answers, blabbering.

My fingers scrape over his chest, slowly travelling up and down before settling on the crook of his neck. "Jason..." I say through a whisper.

"Yeah?" he replies with hoarse voice.

I shift my gaze, briefly staring at my lap, before looking back at him. Slowly, I trace my tongue over my lips, buying myself some time. "Just do it." His eyes grow wider, as he shoots one of those quizzical stares of his. "Kiss me."

"I thought I was just a boy?" I make my best effort not to laugh at his comment, but still I can't help but tug my lips into a small smile.

"You can be quite the idiot sometimes, y'know that?" I brush my fingers through his hair and instead letting him make the first move, I pull him closer to me. "Kiss me first, then I'll see if I can make a man out of you."

His lips come in contact with mine and I feel a sudden taste of cigarettes devour my mouth. Kissing Jason Todd was something I never in a million years thought it will happen. I always thought that me and Dick would be forever. You know, like in the movies? Started as best friends, then as friends with benefits who somehow along the way realized they were in love with each other and somewhere along the way they decided that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. So they get married, have a couple of kids and live happily ever after.

But sadly, that wasn't meant for both me and Dick. We were meant to have the worst break-up in history: me ending up crippled and him leaving in Tamaran.

All those times that I've been beating myself over the reason why Dick didn't want to get back together with me. I thought it was because of my state, but I was way wrong: it was a six-feet tall, gorgeous alien princess.

Fuck me.

But I guess is better this way. He gets his fun, and I get mine. Even if it involves fucking his nineteen year old baby brother.

His lips are rough and dry. I can still feel the dried blood that has been there ever since the day he stepped inside my apartment. They leave mine and travel all the way to my neck. He is gentle, but rough in the same time. His hands are slowly moving from my arm to my waist and the other way around.

I want him. But it's too soon. Way too soon. I gotta get my legs to work properly first, then we can think about _that other thing_.

"Jay," I pull away from his kiss, making him whimper slightly. "I really do love you, you know that?"

"You just begged me to never leave you, I think that meant something, Barb.." he chuckles softly and once again caresses my cheek with his thumb. "I love you too. Always have. Always will."

"Good. Cause I could really use a pillow right now." I let out a quiet snicker and snuggle against Jason's chest as I place my hand over his torso.

"You're a fucking tease, Gordon." Jason places his head over mine and I feel his lips tug into a satisfied smile.

"You know you love it."


End file.
